I didn't see the assignment posted, so if anyone else is looking for it, here it is!

Assignment 15: Do You Know Your Neighbor?

You are juniors. You are in the Academy. You sit next to each other in Mr. Logsdon's class. There are only a few days until the end of the semester.

I think it is safe to say that you, at least, know a little about each other. Your understanding of each other may include extra curriculars, favorite TV shows, hobbies, but your level of familiarity may also extend into knowing each other's personality. Are they intimidating, carefree, honest?

This week, write about the person you sit next to in English class. What do they do? What are they like? What color would you characterize them as and why? Where do you see them in five years? What type of animal are they like?

I know you're in a seating chart, but you are writing about your peers. Getting to know you for the past few months, I have seen you as genuinely nice people and so I expect genuinely nice things in your posts. It doesn't have to be all puppies and ice cream cones, but your entries shouldn't cut anyone down.

Minimum of 150 words - due Sunday, December 4 at 11:59 pm.

Thanksgiving in England

My most memorable Thankgiving is actually this one just passed. My cousin, Carrie Beth, just moved to London two months ago while her husband, John, is studying at the London School of Economics. I and my parents have never been overseas, so we, my brother, my aunt and uncle, my other cousin, and my grandparents all decided that this would be a great opportunity to travel and visit. Unfortunately, my grandmother fell and broke her pelvis bone, so she and my papaw will have to go another time. However, the rest of us proceeded on our journey to Europe. We arrived in London on Thanksgiving morning. Exhausted from no sleep on the 8-hour plane ride, we slept in our hotel room until 3pm. That night, we traveled in "the tube," or metro/subway, to Carrie Beth's small, modern apartment. Along with our crew, John's aunt, uncle, and cousins were there from Germany too, as well as my Carrie Beth's friend who is also living in London. Carrie Beth prepared her first large meal consisting of gammon ham, mashed potatoes, salad, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pecan pie. Although it was a nice dinner, we didn't feel that the ham was quite the same as turkey, so my parents are planning on having another Thanksgiving meal this week. Yes, it was ironic to be celebrating the beginning of America by travelling back to the country we left 400 years ago, but the trip made it the most memorable Thanksgiving I've had so far.

Turkey Day...What a Wonderful Day

What does your Thanksgiving look like? Do you enjoy the holiday? What is your strangest or most wonderful memory of the holiday?

Have you ever seen the TV show "The Waltons"? Where everyone is kind and loving towards one another? Where soft, innocent music plays in the background and you think "Man, this family is perfect"?

Well, if you have, my Thanksgiving is NOTHING like that.

Sure we all love each other. And sure we're nice to each other. But Thanksgiving is far from the way that people conceive it, and I'm sure that we all realize it.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, because it's all about togetherness. No pesky presents to get in the way, or songs to make you hate the holiday, just being around family. And sure your Uncle Ted brings up that embarrassing memory where you "set fire to the cat that one Easter" or your Aunt June tells your father "how tall you've gotten", but don't we love it anyway?

Would we really be happier if Thanksgiving were more hackneyed and sweet? Or do we really just enjoy embracing how dysfunctional every really is?

Me Gusta Turkey

My typical thanksgiving looks like a bunch of first world citizens consuming enough food to feed a village. To be honest, nothing eventful ever happens in my family during thanksgiving except for everyone being present. Don’t get me wrong, I like the food and all, but it marks a time of awkward family conversation where relatives point out how cute you are and much you’ve grown. I could very much so do without this, but I know that it is better than not having much extended family at all.

The food is amazing since my aunt is a professional chef. This is the best family perk on holidays in my honest opinion; you don’t have to worry about the turkey pulling a National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on you. All of the family being present is great too; I appreciate them fully, and feel blessed to have them, but man, the food.

Thanksgiving

Eh. Personally, i've never really cared about Thanksgiving. It's never been an ordeal or anything special. There has not been a single time in my life where it's been a huge family gathering with people flying in across the continent.  I've never had to sit down and wait for a gigantic meal to be prepared by my mom or another relative.

We've always just attended a buffet at some place. It's never been a big deal. The Marriott, Red Mile, etc. Just a simple buffet where all the food is ready for us to eat and then we head home. Just me and my parents, not really anyone else.

The reason for this is probably the relations we have with my extended family. My dad's family is spread out very far, from California to Vermont. It'd be unfeasible to meet up every year just for a meal. And my mom's family... I don't care to associate with. With no real family ties to the holiday, it's just a nice meal. And why spend an entire day cooking for just 3 people when a buffet can serve that purpose better?

My favorite time of year

Thanksgiving is my favorite time of the year. It's when family gets together and thanks is given. When priorities are aligned for at least a few days and when people realize what's really important. This year my family went to my uncle's house (dad's brother) in the country here in Lexington. We spend all day there with my family and my cousins and extended family who come up from Virginia and Alabama. In the morning, the guys go out and finish the turkey in the yard before spending a good amount of time cutting it up. The girls are inside putting the finishing touches on the rest of the food and the set up. Football is on throughout the house all day long. Football is a must have in order for our Thanksgiving to be complete. As the afternoon progresses, conversations are had about a variety of topics...for the ladies, variety of topics include exactly that while for the guys, variety of topics are basically sports variety. The classic football game in the yard with the family is also a must. The piano is available for anyone feeling the need to express their inner musical talents built upon a couple lessons ranging from any time between lower school to high school. Fires are built inside and outside throughout the day along with the feeling of love for those around us. When the food is ready, I always look for my giant turkey leg that awaits me at the top of the mountainous pile of turkey on a platter surrounded by who knows what else. After everyone is ready, Uncle Farra reads his verse and says the blessings as we all prepare ourselves for our wonderfully prepared feast. Quickly, the food is eaten and its back to watching football with the family. I wouldn't trade our Thanksgiving or my family for anything in the world. This time of year allows me to realize how blessed we all are and to see what really matters in life.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving for my family its a great mixture between informal and formal, every year my family including my grandparents and our cousins from Louisville switch off between traveling up to Louisville or staying in Lexington. However, we never actually make our food, we go to the specified house for drinks and appetizers, and then after about an hour we go to the country club for what ever place we are at for a buffet style lunch, Idle Hour for Lexington or the Boat Club/Pendennis Club in Louisville. The places that we eat at are always buffet style, with a plentiful amount of food, which makes it easy on the moms because they do not have to make food and is great for the guys because there is definitely enough food. During the eating there is a plethora of conversations varying from college and the future, to what alcoholic beverage is the most classy(popular topic of the day). After we finish eating the families depart to their houses with most of the day left for sleeping and football. Overall, Thanksgiving isn't a very important holiday for my family and is mainly just used as a get together and reminiscent event.